College Football Bowl Games Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (New Year’s Day)
Gear up for another awesome weekend of college football action with BettingPros! We’ll have you covered with all of our top picks for the week along with our projected spreads and totals to help guide your college football bets. Below are our top picks and predictions for New Year’s Day college football bowl games.
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Top College Football Bowl Games Odds & Picks: New Year’s Day
Texas vs. Arizona State
CFP first timers, Arizona State, will finally get their chance in the Peach Bowl against Texas. The Longhorns ran all over Clemson in their opening round game to the tune of 292 yards on 6.1 yards a pop while holding the Tigers to only 3.2 themselves. They’ve been one of the best running teams in the country, averaging over 175 yards per game on the ground. They’ll run into an Arizona State team that loves moving the ball on the ground as well. Cam Skattebo had an incredible season for the Sun Devils running for over 1500 yards and scoring 19 TDs on the ground. As elite as he’s been, he hasn’t played a defensive front as talented as Texas all season. The Longhorns rank seventh in run defense EPA and allowed only 104.5 yards per game. But Arizona State is a formidable foe there as well. They allow only 117.5 per game on the ground and rank 16th in run defense EPA. For two teams that like to move the ball on the ground and are elite at stopping the run, something has to give. Take the Under and enjoy these teams’ chess match for a chance at the CFP semifinals.
Pick: Under 51.5 (-105)
-Ryan Rodeman
Ohio State vs. Oregon
Ohio State enters the Rose Bowl with a few factors working in its favor: (1) after dominating Tennessee in the opening round, the Buckeyes have a lot of momentum entering the biggest game of the season (to date), (2) after losing to the Ducks earlier in the season by one point, Ohio State will be out for revenge, and (3) Oregon has not played since the Big Ten title game. The Ducks will have some rust to knock off; the Buckeyes, not so much. The public is overwhelmingly behind Ohio State, with 93% of the handle (moneyline bets) on the Buckeyes. For a game that is expected to be a close, hard-fought battle, the value lies with the Ducks in a game where either team could win.
Pick: Oregon ML (+115)
-Travis Pulver
Notre Dame vs. Georgia
Georgia is a two-time defending champion, but I can't help but feel like they are getting more credit than they deserve here. Yes, their defense is solid, one of the best in the country; the same can be said for the Notre Dame defense. The Bulldogs had a solid offense this year, averaging 31.9 ppg (41.7 ppg over their last three), but the Fighting Irish averaged 38.8 (41.7 over their last three). However, Georgia lost its starting quarterback for the season in the SEC title game. So, enter former 4-star recruit Gunner Stockton. He did lead the Bulldogs to an overtime win over Texas, but he'll be getting his first start in college in the CFP against an excellent Notre Dame team. Stockton may be the next great Georgia QB, but Riley Leonard's experience will be the deciding factor for the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame will win a close, low-scoring contest.
Pick: UNDER 45 (-110)/ Notre Dame ML (-105)
-Travis Pulver